In central Alabama near Sylacauga, a meteorite fell on November 30, 1954, after breaking into at least three pieces and creating a fireball, loud booms, and an apparent air blast across three states. Its most famous fragment crashed through a farmhouse roof, struck Ann Elizabeth Fowler Hodges as she slept, and left her badly bruised, making this the best-known case of a meteorite fragment hitting a person. Other pieces were recovered or believed to have landed nearby. The fall also drew scientific interest, legal disputes over ownership, intense media attention, and lasting public fascination.